Kitty Love
by PrussianAwesomeness
Summary: Written for the Fluffathon on LiveJournal. The epic love story of two kitties, Gino and Ema - as well as how they got their owners, Feliciano and Ludwig, to fall in love with each other. GerIta, AusHun and Spamano
1. Chapter 1

_The prompt for this story was: Nation A and Nation B both have cats that turn out to be really similar to their owners. The cats do get along fairly well (or as well as it can be expected, considering they resemble their owners), but their owners have an awkward and kind of complicated relationship. Basically, I want the cats to bring their owners together!_

* * *

Ludwig set down a plate of milk. "Ema!" he called out briskly. Immediately three blurs of black ran towards him, barking loudly. Ludwig rolled his eyes. "You aren't Ema," he chided, petting Blackie, Aster and Berlitz on their heads. The three dogs nuzzled against their owner, tails wagging crazily. "Go inside," he commanded and the three dogs ran by him into the house, intent on pleasing their owner. Ludwig allowed himself a small smile. Now, where was that cat?

Ema walked towards her master briskly, tail high in the air. Ludwig petted Ema's round head. "I have to go to a meeting now – make sure the dogs behave, alright?" he said to the cat. Ema meowed, raising a paw in the air in an almost salute. Anybody else would've found the gesture the cutest thing on earth but not Ludwig. Ludwig rarely found things cute.

As Ludwig stood up and began to walk away, Ema watched her master leave with her dark eyes. Ema wondered suddenly if her master was lonely before throwing away the idea. Of course he wasn't; he had Ema. And the dogs. If cats could scowl, Ema would've scowled. She turned and walked into the house, intent on doing her designated job.

As expected, the dogs were lounging in the living room, Blackie and Berlitz rough-housing and Aster sleeping on the couch – something their master always advised them not to do. Ema made a hissing sound and Aster opened an eye lazily. He saw Ema glaring at him and closed the eye again. Ema walked over to the dog and hit his nose with her right front paw. Aster opened both his eyes and barked. Ema hissed again. Blackie and Berlitz stopped play-fighting to watch the scene curiously. Aster growled. Ema gave him a cold stare. Aster whimpered. Ema continued to stare. Aster finally got off of the couch. Ema meowed in satisfaction. Stupid dogs. They needed better training. Ema decided to be the one to train them. She gave the three dogs a look and meowed. The dogs stared at her. She turned her back on them and walked out of the living room. She paused at the door and gave them another look before leaving.

Berlitz barked in confusion. Were they supposed to follow her? Blackie had already begun to, his tail wagging in amusement. Maybe training would be fun, he barked. Berlitz and Aster looked at each other before following Blackie out of the living room.

The three ended up outside in the backyard. Ema gave them a look that clearly said, 'get into a line'. The dogs attempted to form one. Berlitz playfully bit Aster's tail and Aster turned around, lunging at Berlitz, barking. Blackie watched in amusement, wondering idly if that spot under the tree nearby would be comfortable enough for a nap. He began to sneak away, his eyes already drooping.

There was a loud hiss, making all three dogs freeze. Ema fixed them with her coldest stare. The three dogs went back in line. She paced in front of them and meowed. The dogs looked confused. Stupid dogs. Ema meowed again, giving them a glare.

Blackie glanced at the other two dogs. Was she really telling them to run around the house 30 times? Ema meowed impatiently. Blackie's tail began wagging happily. Running around the house sounded like fun! Blackie took off. Berlitz, not wanting to be caught in Blackie's dust ran off as well, trying to get ahead of Blackie. Ema gave Aster a cold stare. Aster barked hopefully. Pity Ema was a cat. She would've made a very pretty dog. Ema hissed dangerously and Aster ran off, trying to catch up to the other dogs.

Finally. It had taken the dogs quite some time to actually listen to her commands. Training them was going to be difficult, Ema mused to herself ruefully. She might as well get started as soon as they finished their laps.

* * *

"Gino~! Where are you?" Feliciano sang out happily, flying out of the kitchen. He had just made the best lunch ever! Pasta! The Italian man hummed to himself idly as he searched around the house for Gino. The house was strangely quiet after Feliciano's older brother had moved out and gotten married, Feliciano noticed. Perhaps he should play some music so he and Gino could dance to it? Yes, that'd be fun! Feliciano twirled around before going upstairs.

He found Gino taking a nap in his bed, a bit of sunlight shining from the window onto him. "Gino!" Feliciano exclaimed. Gino opened his eyes and meowed happily, jumping off the bed into Feliciano's arms. "Oh you're such a cute kitty!" Feliciano said as Gino nuzzled him lovingly. Feliciano carried Gino downstairs into the kitchen so that they could have lunch.

Gino leapt out of Feliciano's arms and onto the table where he meowed expectantly. Feliciano laughed.

"No Gino you can't sit at the table! Your food is over there!" Feliciano said, pointing to the rather large food bowl on the ground. Gino meowed sadly. "Do you want pasta?" Feliciano asked curiously. Gino meowed happily. Feliciano laughed. "Pasta _does_ taste good! But can kitties eat pasta?" Feliciano wondered. Shrugging he emptied Gino's bowl and refilled it with pasta. He set it in front of Gino and sat beside him, eating happily.

Gino meowed in delight and began to eat the pasta. Gino loved his master – Feliciano was the nicest master a cat like Gino could ever have! They ate together, took naps together – they even painted together! Feliciano was the best master ever! But…Gino sometimes wondered if Feliciano ever got lonely now that his meanie older brother was gone.

"Meow?" Gino asked curiously, cocking his head to the side. 'Are you lonely, master?'

Feliciano laughed, patting Gino on the head. "You want more pasta? Ok~!"

Not actually what Gino had meant, but good enough.

After lunch, Gino decided that he was going to go nap outside because it was pretty and sunny outdoors. He tried to drag Feliciano outside too but Feliciano told him he wanted to sleep inside instead. Gino debated on joining his master or going outside and decided that he wanted to talk to the pretty girl kitties rather than sleep indoors. Outside it is!

Gino meowed happily as he strolled outside. It was such a pretty day outside! Gino felt like singing! Meowing an odd tune, Gino made his way towards his favourite tree when he heard the sound of lots of dogs barking.

Gino jumped in terror. Dogs! Scary, barking, cat-eating dogs!

"Meow! Meow, meow meow!" Gino exclaimed, waving his tail the way he saw his master wave a white flag. 'I surrender! Please, don't eat me!'

There was a silence. Gino prayed to the Cat Gods above that he wouldn't be eaten by the scary dogs.

To his surprise however, a cat appeared.

"What are you yelling about?" she meowed in annoyance. A girl! Gino immediately put on his charm.

"Hello! You are a very pretty kitty! Can we be friends? We could take naps and chase mice and stuff!" Gino meowed eagerly. The cat gave him a look.

"I am busy training my owner's stupid dogs so please go away. I have no time for friends," the cat meowed coldly before turning to walk away. Gino ran around the cat so that they were facing again.

"Dogs? You train dogs? You're so brave!" Gino said eagerly. "Can we be friends?"

"No! Now go away," the cat said, walking away. Gino decided that he _didn't_ want to go away but rather wanted to make friends with the strange cat. The cat froze as Gino tried following her. Fixing the annoying cat with her most piercing stare she meowed, "I will only tell you one more time before I claw you – go _away_!" And with that, she walked away.

Gino felt sad. He really wanted to make friends with the brave, dog-training cat. Oh well, perhaps now Gino could take his nap now! Gino bounded towards his favourite napping spot and curled up, fully intent on sleeping.

Within seconds he was dreaming pasta, pretty female cats and chasing mice.

* * *

Ema shook her head as she walked back to the stupid dogs, who had started up a game of chase while she was gone. She hissed at them and they hastily ran back into a line.

"Now," she meowed to them briskly, pacing in front of them again, "because you three seem to be the stupidest dogs that were ever born, I will have to train you to become intelligent, ruthless guard dogs. Master bought you three for a reason."

Aster barked hopefully. "Will we get to relax afterwards?" Ema hissed in response.

"I guess that means no," Blackie barked at Aster. Aster glared at Blackie.

"Your first assignment will to be to prevent any squirrels from entering this backyard," Ema continued, completely ignoring the idiotic dogs. The three perked up, excited. Did that mean they could chase squirrels? "When I come back from my walk, if I see any squirrel in the yard you will _all_ be severely scratched. Got it?" she threatened. The three dogs barked. "Very well," she said, walking away. "You may begin."

Honestly, Ema could only stand to be near those creatures of inferior intelligence for a few minutes before needing to get away. Ema walked out of their backyard back towards where she had gone the last time – the place where she had met that annoying male cat. Ema hissed to herself. Such a lazy cat. Really? Taking naps? Chasing mice? Ema could think of lots of more productive ways to spend her time.

Meanwhile, Gino was in dreamland. He was dreaming of lots of pretty kitties chasing mice with him and meowing songs about pasta. It was a really good dream! He purred happily in his sleep.

Ema's eyes narrowed when she saw the sleeping cat nearby her. Such a waste of time, sleeping it away like that. She decided that this annoying cat needed training too.

"Wake up!" Ema exclaimed, adding a hiss at the end to jolt the cat awake. As expected, the cat leapt to his feet, looking terrified.

"Please don't hurt me I just want to be friends!" the cat meowed in horror, waving his tail frantically. Ema rolled her eyes. "Oh it's you! The pretty kitty from before! Have you come to be friends?" he asked eagerly.

"No. I've decided to train you to be a proper cat," Ema meowed. The cat looked confused.

"But I thought I _was_ a proper cat!" he protested.

"No. You're too lazy," Ema replied. "Come, I'll train you," she said, turning away. The cat looked delighted.

"Yay! I like making new friends!" the cat said cheerfully. "I'm Gino – what's your name?" he asked eagerly.

"Ema. Now please stop jumping around like that," Ema said briskly, slightly unnerved at the energy coming from the other cat.

"That's a pretty name!" Gino said happily.

Ema wasn't really sure of what to say. No one had ever said to her before. "Thank you," she finally said stiffly. Gino meowed happily to himself. Ema wondered how the hell she was going to train a cat like Gino.

* * *

Ludwig sighed as he walked into the house after the meeting. It had been torture. Ludwig massaged his temples.

"I'm home!" Ludwig called out to his pets. He braced himself from the impact of three dogs jumping at him eagerly. The impact never came. "Blackie? Berlitz? Aster?" he called out curiously, shrugging off his jacket and placing it on the coat rack. When he received no response, Ludwig walked into his living room, the silence unnerving him.

Blackie, Berlitz and Aster were all lying on the couch together. Ludwig was used to this though; he usually got Ema to get them off and discipline them. But Ema couldn't be seen anywhere. Where was she?

"Ema?" he called out. No answer. Feeling rather apprehensive, Ludwig made a move to check upstairs to see if Ema might be uncharacteristically sleeping on his bed. The phone rang, startling Ludwig. Swearing, he picked up the phone.

"Hey Luddy! It's your awesome bro!" the voice said from the receiver and Ludwig groaned.

"Gilbert you nearly woke up the dogs with your phone call!" Ludwig chided.

"…."

"Gilbert?"

"Dude… you need to get laid."

Ludwig blushed furiously. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded into the receiver. Gilbert chuckled. He could practically see his brother's red eyes glinting in amusement.

"You're lonely. You need to get out and meet people," Gilbert told him. Ludwig bristled.

"I don't need to," Ludwig informed him.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't!"

"The first thing you told me when you picked up the phone was that I nearly woke up your dogs. Your _dogs_ Ludwig – freaking Blackie, Berlitz and Aster. Those dogs can sleep through World War _3_."

"Well I-I…" Ludwig frowned, glancing at his sleeping dog. Indeed, Gilbert had a point. The only way they would wake up is if you sent Ema onto them. Speaking of which, where was...?

"Ludwig, are you listening to me?" Gilbert said loudly, jolting Ludwig out of his thoughts.

"Sorry?" Ludwig said. He could hear his older brother sigh from the other line.

"Exactly. We need to find you an awesome person to make you un-lonely," Gilbert said.

"Un-lonely isn't a word."

"It should be. Anyways – what do you like? Boys? Girls? You gotta tell me so I can find someone for you!" Gilbert continued. Ludwig sighed in exasperation.

"Gilbert…"

"Or do you like both like Francis? No worries – I know this Polish dude who likes dressing up like a chick. It's like a boy _and_ a girl at the same time! I could fix you guys up and-"

"GILBERT. Please don't set me up with your weird friends. Francis was bad enough."

"Hey Feliks isn't my friend – he's my freaky roommate. And I thought you said you and Francis had fun when you went out together!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"He tried groping me every 5 minutes," Ludwig informed him.

"Well you can't blame him for that – he's _French_. It's in his blood to grope people!" Gilbert protested.

"He couldn't keep his eyes off the other people at the restaurant we went to," Ludwig continued.

"W-well. Maybe you were being boring! You have a tendency to do that you know," Gilbert said after a brief pause.

Ludwig sighed, massaging his temples with his free hand. "Gilbert, do you really want me to date your best friend?" he asked.

There was a silence. "Well _no_ but…" Gilbert sighed again. "I don't like seeing you all alone with no one but your pets to keep you company," he said in a gentler tone. "I don't like my baby bruder being lonely."

"I'm not lonely," Ludwig reassured him.

"If you say so." Gilbert didn't sound convinced. "Just… just get out and stuff ok? Meet some new people – it never hurt anybody to make new friends. Well… unless you're Feliks's friend Toris and you became friends with that creeper Ivan but yeah. You get what I'm saying?" Gilbert asked.

"Yes I do." Ludwig glanced at the time. It was 11:01 PM. He sighed yet again. He wished he could talk to his brother more but he really needed to sleep. He had a busy day tomorrow. "I have to go sleep now. I have a conference to attend in the next city over and I have to get up early to get there on time," Ludwig said.

"Alright. Remember what I said ok? I'll call tomorrow if I have time before my flight," Gilbert said. Gilbert was taking a trip with his friend Francis [their other friend Antonio was on honeymoon with his newly wedded husband] to Europe so they could see their respective motherlands. Ludwig wished he could see his brother off.

As Ludwig hung up he heard a faint 'meow' and looked down to see Ema looking up at him. "Where were you?" he asked, stooping down to pet her gently. Ema made no response, lifting a paw up to begin grooming herself. He sighed. "I bet you had fun, whatever it was you were doing," he said before standing up. Loosening his tie, he began to make his way upstairs. He paused to glance back at his pets and noticed Ema staring at the sleeping dogs. Knowing fully well that in a few moments Blackie, Aster and Berlitz were going to get their punishment for sleeping on the couch, Ludwig chuckled and disappeared upstairs.

* * *

"We should really come over more often Feliciano but with the whole baby thing…" Elizaveta Héderváry – or rather, _Edelstein _said sheepishly a week later, rubbing her rather large belly affectionately.

Feliciano beamed at her. "Its ok, sorella!" he exclaimed cheerfully, setting the lasagne on the table and taking his oven mitts off. "I don't mind!"

Elizaveta smiled warmly at Feliciano. The Hungarian woman had known the Italian ever since they were young children and had a motherly/sisterly love for him. In fact, she and her husband Roderich liked to think of him like their son.

"How's the baby?" Feliciano asked curiously, sitting down at the table across from the happy couple. Elizaveta and Roderich exchanged a look.

"Can I…?" Elizaveta asked hopefully. Roderich nodded.

"Yes of course you can," Roderich said. Elizaveta beamed.

"We found out what gender the baby's going to be," Elizaveta said. Feliciano clapped his hands excitedly.

"Oooh! What is it?" he asked eagerly.

"We're deciding between Hannah, Laura, Lara, Léna, Sára, Anna, and Katharina," Elizaveta said.

Feliciano cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I don't get it," he said, eyebrows furrowed.

"It's a girl," Roderich told him. Feliciano's eyes went wide.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, beaming. "A little niece! I'm so excited!" he said eagerly. "I'm going to be the best uncle she ever had! I'll teach her how to make pasta!" he added. Elizaveta and Roderich grinned.

Now that the lasagne had cooled, Feliciano cut his guests hearty slices before putting a portion onto his plate. Nearby the table, Gino meowed hopefully, pushing his food bowl [full of cat food] away from him.

"No no Gino you can't have lasagne! Tomorrow I'll make pasta and you can sit beside me and eat ok?" Feliciano promised his pet.

"Is it healthy for a cat to be eating pasta?" Elizaveta asked.

"Pasta is healthy for everyone!" Feliciano exclaimed.

"You let the cat sit with you on the table? That doesn't seem very couth," Roderich remarked, taking out a handkerchief and placing it on his nap. Elizaveta rolled her eyes.

"Not everything can be couth," she shot at him. Roderich sniffed snobbishly.

"I beg to differ, Elizaveta darling," Roderich replied. Feliciano ignored them, eating his lasagne happily. He was much too used to them to really care.

"So Feliciano, find someone interesting in your life?" Elizaveta said, turning away from Roderich, ending their debate. Roderich daintily cut a chewable piece of lasagne before putting it into his mouth.

Feliciano laughed. "Everyone is interesting in my life!" Feliciano exclaimed. Elizaveta chuckled.

"I meant as in a possible lover," she informed. A blush dusted across Feliciano's cheeks.

"N-no," he said, looking down at his food.

"Really? Such a cute boy like you must get lots of attention!" Elizaveta said. Feliciano smiled.

"I do but… not anyone very special," he replied. There was a silence as the three adults ate their fill of lasagne. Once they finished, Feliciano put the plate into the sink and Roderich opened the cake box in which the cake he had made for the occasion was in. The three feasted eagerly on the cake.

After the meal, the three settled themselves in Feliciano's quaint little living room – Elizaveta and Feliciano discussing Lovino's recent marriage, Roderich attempting to seem prim and proper while petting an affectionate Gino.

It was only 2 hours into their lunch get together when Roderich said, "Oh it's almost 3 – we should probably get going if we want to get to the movie on time."

And with that, the three cleaned up and Feliciano ran off to get his coat. "I'm going to the movies with Lizzie and Roderich – I'll come back soon ok?" he promised his cat. Gino meowed happily and Feliciano ran off to meet Elizaveta and Roderich. Waving at Gino one last time, Feliciano locked the door to his house and walked towards their car.

* * *

Ema paced back and forth impatiently. Where was that damned cat? He was late! If there was something Ema hated, it was unpunctuality. Somewhere nearby the dogs were roughhousing, barking like they were under attack. Ema had given up trying to train them. They were simply too stupid to ever learn anything.

"Hi Ema~!" a voice meowed eagerly, bounding up to the female cat. Ema hissed at him.

"You are late," she stated coldly.

"I'm sorry but my master had friends over and one of them kept petting me and it's _not polite to leave when someone's petting you_!" Gino said exuberantly. Ema sighed.

"We will start training at this moment," Ema said briskly.

"Yay training! Training is tiring but lots of fun! I like training with you, Ema! It's fun training with such a pretty kitty!" Gino said excitedly. Again with the pretty kitty thing. Ema's stomach felt odd. It was a rather uncomfortable feeling. Gino nuzzled her gently before running off. Ema's heart fluttered. Was she dying or something? This was not good – it must mean she needed to train more!

* * *

**A/N: At parts it seems a tad bit rushed because I had supreme writer's block T_T" There are five chapters to this story - chapter one shall come tomorrow. I never realized how difficult writing GerIta was O_O**

**Any guesses as to who Blackie, Aster and Berlitz are based off of? The answer'll become more evident when more chapters are posted but any guesses so far? I wasn't intending to write them as such xD**

**Review, please? It's not exactly my best story, I know ._.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank you for dropping me off, Kiku," Ludwig said gratefully as the two men walked towards Ludwig's house.

"It is nothing," Kiku said kindly. "Pochi-kun and Tama-kun needed playmates anyways," he said, referring to the two animals trailing behind them.

Ludwig fished out his keys from his pocket and unlocked the front door, holding it open for his friend. "When are you are leaving for you date?" he asked.

Kiku flushed, looking embarrassed. He didn't bother asking how Ludwig knew about his date; his date had asked him in public, rather loudly at work. "In a few hours. We're going to a movie he has been wanting to see for a while and then going to out to eat," Kiku replied. Ludwig snorted.

"Most likely for hamburgers," he remarked and Kiku laughed.

At the sound of voices in the front foyer, Blackie's ears picked up. "Master is home!" he remarked to his other comrades.

"Is that so?" Aster asked, opening an eye. Blackie barked happily, his tail wagging exuberantly.

"And I think I smell dogs!" he exclaimed. "D'you think Master brought us someone to play with?"

"He bought another dog? Why would he do that when he's the owner of the coolest dog ever? Me?" Berlitz asked, getting off of the couch and sniffing the air. Blackie was right; there was another dog in their midst.

"You are _such_ a vain dog," Aster said lazily, getting up as well.

Berlitz growled. "Says the dog who grooms himself like a cat!" Aster growled at him.

"Come on guys! Don't argue – we have a guest! What if he thinks we're mean because of that?" Blackie exclaimed, coming between Berlitz and Aster. "Apologize!"

"Sorry," Berlitz grumbled.

"Same to you," Aster replied stiffly as their master and his friend came walking into the living room.

"I never expected you to have such large dogs," Kiku said in surprise as the three dogs came leaping at Ludwig. Ludwig petted the nearest one. "What are their breeds?"

"Blackie is a German Shepherd, Berlitz is a Doberman and Aster is a Golden Retriever," Ludwig said, pointing at each dog.

Kiku nodded. "Pochi is a hybrid," he said, as his fluffy white dog cautiously went to introduce himself to Ludwig's dogs.

"H-hello. I am Pochi – pet of Honda Kiku," Pochi said politely. The three dogs turned to stare at him.

"_Hello_. I'm Aster," Aster said, bounding over to Pochi, nuzzling him affectionately. Pochi stared in horror.

"W-what? Was this my first time? Expect you t-to take responsibility!" Pochi exclaimed, scandalized.

"Ignore him – he's just jealous his coat isn't as shiny as _mine_," Berlitz said, pushing Aster away. "I'm Berlitz – master's coolest dog ever!"

"You're the only one who thinks you're the coolest," Aster shot at the other dog.

"So does master's older brother," Berlitz countered. As the two dogs began to fight, Blackie walked up to Pochi.

"You're cute," Blackie said kindly, nudging the smaller dog with his nose. "I'm Blackie!"

"T-thank you. I am Pochi," Pochi said nervously.

"Pochi-kun, come here – I want to show Ludwig a trick," Kiku said suddenly, picking his dog up. Ludwig's three dogs watched Kiku walk away with who could've been their newest friend.

"What a pity. I never even got to check to see if Pochi was a girl or a boy," Aster said lazily, lying down and closing his eyes.

"Pochi didn't _sound_ bitchy – ha! Get it? _Bitchy_?" Berlitz barked eagerly.

"I get it!" Blackie said enthusiastically.

"Pochi-kun is a boy dog," a voice meowed at them. "Hello, I am Tama, Master Kiku's cat. I understand there is a cat who lives amongst you as well?" a brown cat asked curiously.

"Oh yeah – Ema. She's with her _boyfriend_," Berlitz said eagerly. Tama looked surprised.

"Ema-san has a boyfriend?" she asked curiously. Before any of the dogs could reply, a cool voice answered Tama's question.

"He is not my boyfriend. He is an ally, nothing more," Ema said coolly, stepping into the room. "I was merely training him to be a proper cat. I am Ema," she introduced to the other cat. Tama lowered her front paws to do an almost bow to the other cat.

"I am Tama," she introduced. "And if you do not mind me asking, who is the male cat that your fellow housemates are teasing you about?" Tama asked curiously. Ema made a hissing sound.

"A very lazy cat named Gino. He's lazy and annoying and I've been training him to man up," Ema replied, attempting to forget the queer feeling that appeared in her stomach whenever she thought of the annoying cat.

"I see," Tama said seriously. Ema quite liked Tama – she wasn't hyperactive and lazy like Gino. She could make a good ally.

"Tama-kun! It is time to go home," Tama's master said, picking up the cat gently. Ema politely meowed her farewell as Kiku left with Tama and Pochi.

Ludwig walked into the kitchen to get his pets' their food. He thought back to what Kiku had said when Ludwig told him about Gilbert's phone call.

"_Perhaps your brother has a point. Apart from myself, I've never seen you interact with anybody. Perhaps it will do you good to make some more friends."_

Ludwig snorted. He didn't need any more friends. He was perfectly happy in his perfectly tidy home with his perfectly well-behaved cat and his perfectly…_destructive_ dogs.

"Need more friends indeed," he muttered to himself, opening the cupboard for Ema's cat food. As he pulled out the box, he frowned. It was a bit lighter than it really should've been. Opening the box, he peered into it, only to see it completely empty.

"Meow?" Ema said to him as the dogs charged at their full food bowls.

"I'm afraid I have to step out to the store to get you some food," Ludwig said, walking towards the coat rack and pulling on his jacket. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

It hit him as he left the house that he had just had a conversation with his cat. Sighing in resignation, Ludwig jammed his hands into his pockets. _Perhaps I _should_ try to make some new friends…

* * *

_

Feliciano hummed happily to himself as he placed another tomato into his bag. The movie had been really good – Roderich hadn't thought so, though. He had spent the entire time talking about how the musical composition really didn't fit the atmospheric mood the cinematic production had been trying to create. Feliciano didn't really understand what that meant but Elizaveta had assured him Roderich was just saying in a very fancy way that he hated the background music.

As Feliciano wheeled his cart towards the cashier, he remembered absently that Gino's kitty treats had run out. Feliciano promptly turned around and wheeled his cat towards the pet section.

"Where are Gino's kitty treats?" Feliciano muttered to himself, scanning the shelves. Feliciano was having trouble finding Gino's favourite flavour. Staring at the shelves intently, Feliciano wasn't looking where he was going and suddenly found himself on the ground.

"Are you ok?" a voice said above him. Feliciano blinked and looked up to see Ludwig Beilschmidt standing nearby. Feliciano nodded meekly; he always felt rather uncomfortable around the man. They had first met a few years back when Feliciano and Lovino moved into Feliciano's current home. Ludwig lived not too far by. They had met for the second time at Lovino's wedding – Ludwig's older brother Gilbert was Lovino's fiancé's best friend and was one of his best men. Feliciano found talking to Ludwig awkward; Ludwig was very prim and proper but not in a way Roderich was.

"Thank you," Feliciano said quietly as Ludwig extended a hand for Feliciano to use to help stand up.

"I apologize. I wasn't looking where I was going," Ludwig apologized. Feliciano nodded.

"Me neither. Sorry." Feliciano noticed at that point that Ludwig was holding the exact type of kitty treats that Gino liked. "Do you have a cat?" Feliciano asked eagerly.

Ludwig nodded. "I do. Do you?" he asked. Feliciano nodded, beaming.

"Yes! His name is Gino and he loves the treats you're holding! Where did you find them? I've been looking for 10 minutes!" Feliciano asked. Ludwig pointed in the direction behind him. "Thank you!" he said.

"You're welcome," Ludwig said. They stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds. "Er – I should probably get going. I still need to feed my cat," he said finally. Feliciano nodded.

"Gino's probably waiting for me," Feliciano said and the two parted ways. The moment Ludwig was far away from him, Feliciano let out a sigh of relief. Talking to Ludwig was _so _uncomfortable. "Hmmm… where _are_ those kitty treats?" he asked himself as he walked in the direction Ludwig had pointed out to him.

* * *

"Hello! I'm Gino and I like pretty kitties and pasta!" Gino said excitedly, running circles around Tama. Ema resisted the urge to claw Gino. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to introduce the two to each other.

"Hello. I am Tama, cat of Honda Kiku," Tama said politely. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard much about you from Ema-san," Tama added.

"You've told her about me?" Gino asked, clearly pleased. Ema's stomach lurched again as Gino nuzzled Ema affectionately.

"Don't touch me," she hissed, looking away. "And yes, of course. I told her about my _attempts_ at training you," Ema continued.

"You did? Oooh can we be friends?" Gino meowed cheerfully to Tama.

"It would be an honour," Tama said solemnly.

"Oh yay! We can go chasing mice and having siestas and running away from scary doggies!" Gino exclaimed happily.

"We will have none of that. We will be training the entire day," Ema said briskly. Gino and Tama both gave her disappointed looks.

"Awww… but-"

"But nothing."

"Ema-san… must we train the entire day?" Tama asked. Ema gave her a surprised look.

"Not you too!" Ema exclaimed in horror.

"Well… training does not sound very much fun…" Tama said, lowering her head in shame. That, plus Gino giving Ema puppy-eyes [how that was possible, Ema had no idea], Ema couldn't find it in herself to force them to train.

Ema sighed. "Fine. We'll do whatever you want," she said finally.

"Yay!" Gino exclaimed, licking Ema's cheek before running off.

"I-you-what-GET BACK HERE," Ema sputtered in shock. Tama stared at her friend.

"Are you sure you two are nothing but friends?" she asked. Ema blinked and glared at Tama.

"Of course! We're allies – nothing else!" she exclaimed.

"It seems as though Gino would like to be more than just friends," Tama replied wisely. Ema hissed, her stomach lurching. Could he really…? "I suggest you talk to him about it. My master learned the hard way that with those who act like Gino, denying your feelings for them will only encourage them further," Tama advised.

"Talk to him…?" Ema echoed. Well, she supposed she had to; she didn't want to lead the idiot cat on and ruin their frien-alliance. "I will talk to him tomorrow," she decided. Tama nodded solemnly.

* * *

Gino rather admired Ema. A lot. She was pretty, smart _and_ brave! Gino never knew anyone who could live with three scary doggies like Ema could. Gino was really happy that they were friends.

This was why when Ema told him she wanted to talk to him privately the next day, Gino was slightly nervous. After meeting Tama, the quiet yet really nice kitty the day before, Gino was sure that Ema had found a new friend and no longer wanted to be his friend. Gino's heart felt like it would break from sadness if she did.

"Gino would you _please_ stop running around like that? I can't talk to you if you do that," Ema said in annoyance. Gino froze, paw in the air, staring at Ema.

"I'm sorry!" he wailed, running up to Ema and waving his tail frantically. "I promise to be the most responsible and not annoy you or take naps when I'm supposed to be training and-"

"What are you talking about?" Ema cut in, looking confused. Gino stopped talking to stare at Ema.

"You're going to tell me we can't be friends anymore, right?" Gino said, looking sad.

"What? I-no! I came to talk to you about…our alliance," Ema said finally.

"You mean our friendship, right?" Gino asked.

"Er… right," Ema said finally. "It has come to my attention that you… you might be more than just friends," she said with a struggle. Gino cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"I do?" he asked.

"Yes," Ema answered. "And for the sake of our alliance… I suppose I accept your love," Ema continued.

"You love me?" Gino asked in surprised delight. Meowing happily he nuzzled Ema. "Well then, I love you too! Does this mean we'll get married? Do kitties get married? Can we have baby kittens? I want to name our baby kittens Valentino and Pastina!" Gino rambled happily, continuing to nuzzle Ema. A part of Ema wanted to run away from Gino's affection… yet she rather liked it.

She could get used to this.

* * *

**A/N: Just a side note - I made a little edit to the first that - at the very beginning to explain why Gino and Ema are so very alike their owners. It was part of the prompt for this story xD **

**The beginning of this chapter happens a few weeks after the last chapter - so if it seems like Gino and Ema got together way too early, it's because I couldn't figure out what to write in the time in between xD **

**Can anyone guess who Kiku's date was? Oh come on, it's totally easy xD And any new guesses as to who Blackie, Aster and Berlitz are? **

**Review s'il vous plait?**


	3. Chapter 3

Ludwig set down the bowl of cat food, frowning when Ema didn't come padding around the corner for her dinner. It was the tenth time something like that had occurred. Ludwig wondered where his cat was, and what possibly could be distracting her so much.

"Dogs – guard," he commanded sternly. "I'm going to go find Ema," Ludwig told his sleeping canines before pulling on a light jacket and venturing outside.

"Should we have told him about Ema and her boyfriend?" Blackie questioned, sounding worried, looking up from his spot on the couch as his master walked away.

"Yeah Blackie – because Master can _totally_ understand dog-speak," Berlitz replied sarcastically. Blackie brightened up.

"He can? Let's catch up to him and tell him!" Blackie exclaimed, bounding away. Berlitz and Aster sighed in unison.

"Should we go chase after him?" Berlitz asked.

"Nah. Too tired," Aster replied, closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, not too far away, Feliciano was turning off the stove, wondering where his beloved kitty was. Gino had never been out for so long for so many days and Feliciano was starting to get worried.

"Gino?" Feliciano called out into his backyard. There was no answer. Feliciano shivered as a cool breeze blew past him. The sun was beginning to set; usually Gino was home by this time. Feliciano glanced back towards his kitchen, where his dinner was beginning to cool off. He decided to try looking for Gino before eating; it wouldn't be very nice of him to eat without Gino! Feliciano pushed open the back door and walked into his backyard, calling Gino's name.

There was no response. Frowning, Feliciano opened the gate that led towards a small field that Feliciano knew Gino liked to nap in. Perhaps he was there?

"Gino?" Feliciano called out hopefully.

"Ema!" Ludwig shouted, fully expecting her to come walking towards him. He saw nothing. A small knot began to form in Ludwig's stomach. What if something happened to Ema? Ludwig knew that Ema was capable to fend for herself but… what if she had been attacked? By something _larger_ than she was?

"Woof!" something said behind him, startling Ludwig out of his thoughts. Ludwig turned to see Blackie bounding towards him.

"Blackie! You're supposed to be guarding the house with the other dogs," Ludwig said sternly, hiding a small smile as Blackie nuzzled him.

"Woooof! Woof woof bark bark bark!" Blackie barked at him. Ludwig frowned as Blackie continued to bark at him.

"I don't understand what you're saying, Blackie," Ludwig said finally. Blackie stared up at him, confused. Ludwig sighed. "But if you want to help me find Ema, you can," he said, patting Blackie's head. Blackie barked happily and ran off, pausing only to bark at Ludwig, signifying he should follow. Sighing, Ludwig trailed after his cheerfully energetic dog, wondering where the hell Blackie was taking him. Not too far ahead of them stood Feliciano Vargas, looking anxious.

"Gino~?" Feliciano called out worriedly. Still no response. Feliciano was trying not to panic.

"Feliciano?" a voice called out curiously. Feliciano's eyes widened.

"Gino?" he asked, turning around as Ludwig Beilschmidt came into view. Feliciano blushed. "Oh… sorry. I thought that was my cat," he said sheepishly. Ludwig gave him an odd look but didn't question it.

"Are you looking for your cat too?" Ludwig asked curiously.

"You mean _you_ lost your cat too?" Feliciano asked, eyes widening. "Maybe they're together!"

Ludwig nodded. "Perhaps that is so. Maybe we should search together…?" he suggested, just as Blackie began barking at them.

"Is that your doggie?" Feliciano asked, feeling wary over how _huge_ the dog was. Ludwig nodded. "I think he wants us to follow him!" he exclaimed. Ludwig sighed and walked forwards, towards the large canine. Feliciano trailed behind. Feliciano was ever so slightly afraid of large dogs.

"Are you coming?" Ludwig asked, turning around. Feliciano blinked and ran to Ludwig's side. They continued to follow Blackie. Feliciano shivered as a cool breeze blew past them. "Are you cold?" Ludwig questioned. Feliciano blushed.

"Kind of," he admitted. Feliciano's eyes widened as Ludwig began to take of his jacket and hand it to him. "It's alright," he stammered.

"I insist," Ludwig said in a finite tone. Feliciano blushed and took Ludwig's jacket and pulled it on, feeling considerably warmer.

"Thank you," Feliciano said smiling. Ludwig turned pink and nodded awkwardly to Feliciano.

The two continued on their way in silence. Ludwig found himself going through topics to discuss with Feliciano, feeling uncomfortable with their silence.

"Look!" Feliciano exclaimed suddenly, saving Ludwig from starting an awkward conversation and pointing towards a small tree not too far away from them. Ludwig followed the other man's gaze to see Ema cuddling next to another cat [with a strange curl akin to Feliciano's], apparently fast asleep.

"Is that… your cat?" Ludwig asked, feeling surprised. Ema was never the cuddling type. Ludwig had to blink a few times and make sure he wasn't seeing things in the dark to make sure it was indeed his cat he was looking at.

Feliciano nodded. "Ve… aren't they so cute together? Let's leave them here – they're too cute to break up!" Feliciano cooed. "It would be too mean to split them apart, especially if they're in love!" he exclaimed.

Ludwig nodded stiffly, not really understanding how it would be mean to wake them up and take them home, but nodding all the same. "I guess so," he replied.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Feliciano asked. "You could eat with me if you want!" he offered. Normally, Feliciano wouldn't have offered such a thing to Ludwig – a man he barely knew and felt uncomfortable around, but hey – perhaps the fact that their cats had fallen in love was a sign.

Ludwig blinked in surprise at the offer. It had been a very long time since he had eaten dinner at someone else's house. He cleared his throat. "Only if it's not too much trouble for you…" Ludwig said awkwardly.

Feliciano beamed at him, almost surprised that Ludwig was even considering his request. "Of course it isn't!" he exclaimed. "I actually made enough to me and Gino but since he's busy sleeping you can have it!" Feliciano added.

Ludwig frowned as Feliciano turned to walk back home, motioning for Ludwig and Blackie to follow. "You share food with your cat?" he questioned as they walked side by side.

Feliciano looked astonished. "You don't?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course not – cats have a different diet from us. Eating our food wouldn't be healthy for them," Ludwig replied.

Feliciano made a face. "But our food tastes better – even Gino thinks so!" Feliciano protested. "But I make him eat his kitty food so he doesn't have to go to the scary vet," he added.

The two men [and dog] came to a stop in front of a small yet inviting home. Feliciano fumbled his keys around before turning the lock and opening the door. He walked into the house, flipping on the hall lights as he went in. Ludwig and Blackie followed, both of them looking around with interest.

Feliciano's house was smaller than Ludwig had expected. Pictures lined the walls – some of them copies of Old Masters, others being pictures of Feliciano and what looked to be his family. The walls were various shades of light pink, purple and blue. The house was adorned with pretty sculptures that looked homemade and vases full of brightly coloured flowers. There was a strong smell of pasta in the air, making Ludwig's stomach rumble. Altogether, a very cosy, cheerful-looking home. Ludwig thought back to his own house, with its bleak plain walls and lack of décor and felt very out of place in such a place.

"Ludwig?" Feliciano called out from another room, breaking Ludwig from his reverie. Ludwig and Blackie followed the sound towards what seemed to be Feliciano's kitchen. Feliciano had already laid out plates for the both of them and one on the ground for Blackie. "I didn't have any dog food, so is sausage ok?" Feliciano questioned, motioning to the meat on the plate. Before Ludwig could reply, Blackie bounded forwards, eating the meat eagerly.

"I guess that answers your question," Ludwig replied and Feliciano laughed. "He prefers tomatoes though – a weird habit that he must've picked up from my brother's friend," he added.

"Oh! Like my brother – he loves tomatoes!" Feliciano exclaimed. Ludwig had almost forgotten Feliciano had a brother – the two men acted nothing alike. Feliciano was so cheerful and happy whereas his brother… well, he and Ludwig never really got along – even though Ludwig tried his hardest to be amicable.

"How is your brother anyways? He doesn't live with you anymore, now that he's married, right?" Ludwig asked as he swallowed some of the pasta he had been chewing. Feliciano was a very good cook, Ludwig marvelled. Ludwig himself wasn't very proficient at cooking; he always stuck to making wurst and potatoes.

"He's on honeymoon!" Feliciano exclaimed, standing up suddenly. He dashed out of the room, only to come back a few seconds later with a photograph in his hands. "They went to Barcelona!" he said, handing Ludwig the picture of a grumpy looking man [that looked quite like Feliciano], attempting to shrug off the arm of his cheerful hubby, blushing furiously.

"He looks like he's having fun," Ludwig remarked drily and Feliciano laughed.

"He is! Lovino's always like that though; he doesn't like admitting his feelings but me and Antonio know better," Feliciano replied, beaming.

"It must get very lonely now though, what with Lovino being gone," Ludwig commented and Feliciano sighed.

"It does," he agreed, the smile slipping off his face just for a second. "But at least I have Gino!" he added, brightening up.

"And I have Ema, Aster, Berlitz and Blackie," Ludwig replied, nodding. Blackie looked up at the sound of his name before returning back to his food, tail wagging happily.

"Does your brother live with you too?" Feliciano questioned as he took a second helping of pasta. Ludwig stared at Feliciano's empty plate in surprise [he himself was only halfway done and Feliciano was already getting seconds] before answering.

"Gilbert moved out a long time ago so he could continue his studies closer by to his university. From what I hear, he's rooming with a 'freaky Polish cross dresser' named Feliks," Ludwig replied, rolling his eyes as he remembered the conversation he had with his brother not too long ago. Feliciano laughed.

The two continued to eat in silence, not sure of what to talk about next.

The moment Ludwig finished, he stood up. "I should probably be on my way," he said, breaking the long silence. "I left the other two dogs at home by themselves. Knowing them, they've gone and trashed the house," he added. "Blackie, up." Blackie stood up, looking slightly disappointed that they weren't staying for longer.

"Oh… ok," Feliciano said, standing up to lead Ludwig and Blackie to the door. "Have a nice night," he said, opening the door for Ludwig.

"You too," Ludwig said. The two men stared at each other for a few seconds before Ludwig turned away, walking out of the house with Blackie obediently following.

* * *

When Ema woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. She leapt to her feet, horrified that she let herself fall asleep like that.

"Meow…?" Gino said sleepily, an eye opening.

"We have to get back home!" Ema exclaimed. "Our masters must be so angry!" Mentally, she was going through the punishment Ludwig could give her for doing such a horrible thing.

Gino looked horrified. "Feliciano must be so worried!" he exclaimed, running off without a backwards glance. Ema rolled her eyes before walking home herself.

Ema wasn't surprised to see that Ludwig had already left for work and that the dogs were already lounging on the couch.

Berlitz let out a howl when he saw the cat walk into the room. "Look who comes back after spending the night with her _boyfriend_!" he barked teasingly. Ema hissed angrily at him.

"How was it? Was it romantic?" Aster asked eagerly.

"How do you idiots know about that?" she asked furiously.

"Me and master went looking for you! Your boyfriend's master said it was best to leave you guys alone and we went to his house for dinner! It was so cute~!" Blackie told her. Ema swatted at Blackie as the three dogs laughed at her.

Meanwhile, Gino was being petted by a happy Feliciano and was being told all about Ema's master, Ludwig.

"I used to think that he was really scary but he seems really nice!" Feliciano told the cat cheerfully as he scratched behind Gino's ears. "But it was still awkward talking to him… he said he lives alone – I wonder if he gets lonely like me?" Feliciano wondered out loud. Gino looked up at his master, confused.

"Meow?" Gino asked, putting his left front paw on Feliciano's chest. Feliciano blinked and looked down at the cat.

"Are you hungry, Gino?" Feliciano cooed at the kitty, standing up and carrying Gino to the kitchen. "How about I start lunch now?"

Not quite the answer Gino was expecting but ah well. Gino already had a super awesome plan he wanted to tell Ema! He couldn't wait for lunch to be over so he could tell her!

* * *

**A/N: There are only two chapters left to this story, I'm afraid. I have this sudden inclination to write one-shots in this universe about the other characters - like what happens on Kiku on his date [with who most of you guessed correctly as Alfred], Elizaveta & Roderich's baby, Gilbert and Francis's trip, etc etc. Do you think I should? xD I'm so fail, I give myself too many writing projects aha. **

**Review, por favor? **


	4. Chapter 4

"You want to get our masters to fall in love with each other?" Ema said drily a few hours later. Gino nodded eagerly, jumping around excitedly.

"That way they won't be lonely anymore because they'll have each other to keep them company!" Gino said happily.

"My master isn't lonely. He has me. And the idiot dogs," Ema replied briskly.

"But does he have any human friends?" Gino prompted.

"Tama's master…and his brother…" Ema listed, suddenly realizing that Gino had a point. "But what can we do? You can just _make_ someone fall in love," she said. "Especially with someone who's nothing like you," she added, remembering all the things Gino had told her about Feliciano.

"But I fell in love with _you_ and _we're_ nothing alike!" Gino pointed out and once again, Ema was forced to admit that Gino had a point.

"So what should we do?" Ema asked.

* * *

And thus, just like that, the planning process began to get Ludwig and Feliciano together.

It was surprisingly simple, really. To the cats' immense glee, Feliciano and Ludwig decided to hold little 'dates' for Ema and Gino so that they could keep an eye on their pets yet still let them be together. It didn't take long for Ludwig and Feliciano to realize they had a few things in common and spend hours talking together.

And somehow, the dogs managed to find out about the plan and wanted to help out too. Ema found it annoying how the dogs fawned over adorable Gino but Gino seemed to enjoy the attention – once he realized they weren't trying to eat him.

"You seem a lot happier today," Kiku remarked as he and Ludwig walked towards their cubicles at work.

"Feliciano is coming over today with Gino," Ludwig replied, sipping from his coffee.

"You like Feliciano a lot," Kiku stated. Ludwig choked on the coffee he was drinking and spat it out, coughing.

"W-what? I mean yeah I do but no – not like that! I mean… we're just friends!" Ludwig stammered, turning a deep red. Kiku smiled softly.

"But you would like to be more than that," he replied.

Ludwig's face turned a darker red. Damn Kiku and his ability to understand Ludwig's feelings, even when he himself can't decipher them! "He's very lively," Ludwig admitted. "And I like talking to him… I just don't want to be alone anymore and neither does he," Ludwig said quietly. "I don't want to mess anything up."

Kiku nodded. "May I come along with Tama-kun to your play date?" he asked suddenly. "I would like to meet this Feliciano."

Ludwig blinked. "O-of course you can! Feliciano won't mind it," he added.

And like that, Kiku unconsciously joined the pets in their plan to get Ludwig and Feliciano together.

* * *

Feliciano hummed merrily to himself as he stirred the pot of pasta sauce on the stove. It had been two months since he and Ludwig had first found Gino and Ema cuddled together and since then, the two had established a schedule – every other day they would go to each other's house and while the cats played, they would update each other on their day. Feliciano liked talking to Ludwig – he always listened to him, never yelled at him to shut up like his brother would. Today was Ludwig's turn to come to Feliciano's house and the two had already made plans for the German man to stay for dinner.

_Ring_! The phone rang, startling Feliciano out of his thoughts. Feliciano picked the phone, balancing it against his shoulder and right ear as he stirred.

"Hello?"

"I hate you, you bastard."

Feliciano blinked. "Lovi? Is that you?" he asked, turning off the stove so he could direct his full attention to the phone.

"Of course it's me, you idiot. Who the fuck could it be? Oh wait I know – that German bastard you're always hanging around with, right?" Lovino growled from the phone.

"How did you hear about Ludwig?" Feliciano asked curiously. He didn't recall telling his brother about his new friend…

"Elizaveta told me. You're a jerk, you know that? You start screwing the potato bastard and you don't even bother telling your own fratello?" Lovino shot at him from the phone.

"I'm not screwing Ludwig! We're just friends!" Feliciano protested, blushing at Lovino's crude way of describing their friendship.

"Elizaveta says you're always talking about him," Lovino accused.

"Well he's really nice and not at all scary like I thought he was! And he laughs at all my jokes and he's really, really strong and really smart too!" Feliciano gushed.

"… you never say anything like that about me."

"That's because you're my brother! You're supposed to already know what I think about you!"

"What? That doesn't even make sense – whatever, I don't care. Just be careful with that potato bastard. I don't wanna beat him up because he makes you cry or something," Lovino grumbled.

"Oh Lovi are you talking to your brother? Can I talk to him?" Feliciano heard his brother-in-law say from the other line.

"W-what? No dammit, you can't talk to my brother!" he heard Lovino yell.

"Hola Feliciano!" Feliciano heard Antonio say cheerfully. Feliciano beamed.

"Hello Antonio! How was your honeymoon?" Feliciano asked eagerly.

"Lots of fun! We saw lots of pretty sights!" Antonio replied back. "So I hear you and Gilbert's brother Ludwig are becoming really good friends!"

"We are! Our kitties fell in love and it's so cute!" Feliciano cooed. "And Ludwig's really, really nice too and he knows Roderich and Elizaveta and he introduced me to his friend Kiku a few weeks ago and Kiku's really nice too and Ludwig likes the same music I do and he says my paintings are really pretty!"

"Sounds like someone's in love~!" Antonio teased. Feliciano turned bright red.

"I-I'm not in love," he said, laughing nervously.

"I can hear the love in your voice when you talk about him! You should ask him out! You never know – maybe in a few months you and Ludwig will be like me and Lovi!" Antonio said excitedly. There was a howl from the other end and Feliciano could hear what sounded like a phone being fumbled around with.

"Hey bastard don't corrupt my brother with—"

"And Lovi could be your bridesmaid at your wedding! Lovi would look so cute in a dress wouldn't—"

"You asshole! Don't say such horrible stuff!"

"But it'd be cute and—"

"I BAN YOU FROM MARRYING THE POTATO BASTARD!" Lovino howled into the phone. Feliciano winced, holding the phone away from his ear as Lovino continued to yell at his husband.

_Ding dong,_ the doorbell rang – startling Feliciano into nearly dropping the phone into the pasta sauce.

"Fratello I have to go now – Ludwig's here!" Feliciano said hastily into the phone, hanging up before Lovino could reply.

"Are you alright? You look frazzled," Ludwig said as he walked into Feliciano's house. Feliciano smiled at him sheepishly, smoothing his hair into a more presentable state. Pity his hair couldn't be as controllable as Ludwig's hair. Ludwig's slicked back blonde hair had not a stray strand sticking out in sight. Feliciano found himself wondering what it would be like to run his fingers through Ludwig's hair.

"Feliciano?" Ludwig asked, staring at the Italian man in confusion. Feliciano seemed to have spaced out.

"Hmm?" Feliciano said, blushing at his prior thought. Ludwig frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

"I asked you if you were alright because you look frazzled," Ludwig repeated, wondering what had distracted Feliciano so.

Feliciano smiled and the two of them walked to the living room, Ema following them silently, watching the exchange with some amusement. "I was talking to my brother – that's all," Feliciano said cheerfully.

"How delightful," Ludwig said drily, making Feliciano laugh.

"He mentioned you in the conversation," Feliciano remarked.

"What did he say?" Ludwig asked.

"He said he didn't like us being friends," Feliciano replied. "But that's Lovino for you – he doesn't like any of my friends."

"That's surprising," Ludwig said and Feliciano laughed again. Ludwig liked being around Feliciano – it was very relaxing. Sure, sometimes Feliciano's laziness and constant cheer irked him, but Feliciano was just a person you couldn't help but love.

Wait. _Love_?

"_You like Feliciano a lot." _

"_W-what? I mean yeah I do but no – not like that! I mean… we're just friends!" _

"_But you would like to be more than that."_

Perhaps Kiku was right. Perhaps he _did _want to be more than just friends with Feliciano. But what should he do about that? Should he tell Feliciano and risk their friendship? Did Feliciano even like him back the same way? Was there any manual on how to tell the friend you like that you want to be more than just friends in the library? Ludwig suddenly felt very awkward sitting in Feliciano's living room.

"Ludwig?" Feliciano said, cocking his head to the side adorably. "I asked you if you wanted some coffee."

Ludwig nodded mechanically. "Your shirt looks nice," Ludwig blurted out. He blushed a deep red. Why had he said that?

Feliciano blushed [rather cutely, Ludwig had to add in his mind]. "Thank you! It was a present from Elizaveta," Feliciano said before walking out of the living room. The moment Feliciano was gone; Ludwig leaned against the couch and took a deep breath in.

Ema and Gino watched this all at their spot on the floor. They exchanged gleeful looks.

The plan was working!

* * *

**A/N: Aha, I rather quite like this universe - it's all cute and stuff ^^ And _finally_, Lovino makes his proper appearance. Actually, when I started writing this story, I didn't want to mention Lovino's husband's name so it could just be _implied_ that he was married to Antonio but not full out said. And then I thought it was a stupid idea and gave up on it xD **

**Review, please? :O **


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Ludwig – your awesome brother's back from his trip and wants to _see_ you!" a voice called out a few weeks later. Ludwig heard the voice and blanched; attempting to hide the book he had been reading somewhere where Gilbert wouldn't see it. He nearly successfully did before Gilbert barged in with the dogs nuzzling him happily, Gilbert stooping down to pet all of them and his pet bird hovering over his silvery hair, twittering frantically. Gilbert stood up and the bird rested on his head as the man gave Ludwig one of his signature smiles.

"How was your trip?" Ludwig asked, trying to casually cover up the book. Gilbert laughed.

"_Awesome_. Me and Francis were hitting on this cute Canadian chick in Paris," he remarked.

"What was her name?"

"Matthew."

"…what?" Ludwig asked, looking confused. Gilbert laughed again.

"Turns out _she_ was just a very girly looking boy. We still hit on him though," Gilbert said, grinning deviously. Ludwig rolled his eyes; it seemed like something Gilbert and Francis would do. "Oh – when I was on my way here to your place I passed everyone's least favourite aristocrat and Lizzie," Gilbert added.

"You saw Elizaveta and Roderich?" Ludwig questioned. Gilbert nodded.

"The chick's about to pop – she said she only had a few days left or something. Or at least, I think that was what she was saying. I was busy annoying Roddy. It was a bad idea to do that – they just came back from buying new kitchen supplies," Gilbert said, massaging the back of his head where Ludwig supposed Elizaveta had hit him at.

"You probably deserved it," Ludwig replied.

"Yeah maybe. Whatever – Elizaveta told me something _very_ interesting about you," Gilbert said, his smile growing. Ludwig didn't like what Gilbert's tone supposed.

"What did she say?" Ludwig asked suspiciously.

"That you have a crush on Antonio's adorable brother-in-law," Gilbert replied. Ludwig blushed.

"That's not true!" Ludwig protested.

"Then why were you reading 'How to admit your true feelings to your closest friend' before I came in here?" Gilbert asked. Ludwig blanched. "I saw you hide it," Gilbert continued, chuckling. "Seriously bro? A self-help manual?" Gilbert grabbed a nearby chair and sat on it backwards, the dogs lying around his feet. "It's time your awesome older brother gave you a man to man talk," Gilbert said seriously.

Ludwig stared at the Albino. "A man to man talk?" Ludwig asked sceptically.

"Yeah. So here it is; books will only get you so far in life. You gotta listen to your heart sometimes – which sounds really freaking cheesy but hear me out. A book's not gonna tell you how to deal with Feliciano alright? You gotta figure out what to do yourself," Gilbert said, fixing his brother with a serious look.

Ludwig blinked back at Gilbert. Gilbert had never been so serious before. "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked.

"What do _you_ think you should do?" Gilbert asked.

"Well the book said that I have to-"

"I didn't ask for what the book told you to do. What would _you_ do?"

"I don't know!"

"God_dammit_ Ludwig you're such an idiot about these things – what would you do? Listen to your freaking heart!" Gilbert exclaimed, hitting his hand against his forehead in frustration.

"I don't know – ask him for a date or something?" Ludwig cried out, exasperated. He had no idea what this got to do with anything.

Gilbert's red eyes glittered and he leapt to his feet, knocking over the chair and nearly stepping on the dogs – which had run off the moment he stood up.

"Yes! Ask him out on a date! _That's_ what you should do!" Gilbert exclaimed. He threw his arms into the air. "Hallelujah, Ludwig's figured out something on his own without consulting a stupid book!"

"But what if he says no because he doesn't like me that way?" Ludwig countered.

"Then you say 'alright, let's stay friends' and take it like a man!" Gilbert replied. "Feliciano's a really nice guy too – so it's not like _that's_ ever going to happen."

"So you really think I should ask out Feliciano?" Ludwig asked urgently.

"Of course! God Ludwig, you should've asked me for advice _ages_ ago – you could've been a relationship by now if I heard about this earlier!" Gilbert remarked. "I'm so awesome at dishing out advice," he said dreamily. "I should start up an advice column or something."

"When should I ask him out?" Ludwig asked. Gilbert shrugged.

"Whenever you see him next," Gilbert suggested.

Ludwig frowned. Feliciano was coming over to his house that night for the cats' play date and was staying for dinner.

"I'll ask him tonight," Ludwig said quietly himself, feeling determined.

* * *

"When's the baby due?" Feliciano asked into the phone as he put away a few paintings he had made that afternoon. He could hear Elizaveta chuckle.

"A few days – hopefully. She's kicking pretty hard," Elizaveta told him.

"Have you thought of a name for her yet?" Feliciano asked eagerly, pausing to stoop down and pet Gino – who purred happily and nuzzled his hand. Feliciano broke into a smile.

"Not yet! Roderich won't decide between Anna and Katharina. I'm at my wits-end when it comes to naming her – so if you suddenly hear news of you being uncle to a little girl named Elizaveta junior it's not my fault!" Elizaveta joked and Feliciano laughed.

"Katharina's a very pretty name," Feliciano suggested.

"That's what I think too but as if Roderich would listen to me. Have I told you about his newest idea? To name her after a composer! I would be all for the idea if it weren't for the fact they're all _men_! Roderich said we could feminize the name but I honestly don't want a daughter named Wolfgangette or Ludwiga!" Elizaveta exclaimed and Feliciano laughed again.

"Those names don't sound good at all," Feliciano agreed through chuckles.

"But speaking of Ludwig… when are you going to tell him how you feel?" Elizaveta asked. Feliciano blushed deeply. He had admitted to Elizaveta a few days ago that he did indeed have a big crush on Ludwig but was too afraid to tell the German man.

"Never?" Feliciano suggested and he heard Elizaveta sigh on the other end.

"Incorrect. You're asking him out tonight, ok?" Elizaveta asked. Feliciano blanched – a rather odd contrast to his previously red face.

"N-no! That'll be embarrassing!" Feliciano cried out.

"No it won't! You'll tell him that you like him and suggest a date and he'll blush and stammer out a yes like the awkward German he is and all will be fine!" Elizaveta told him.

"Why are you so sure he'll say yes?" Feliciano asked.

"Because Ludwig's older idiotic brother Gilbert called me after he went to Ludwig's house and told me Ludwig likes you," Elizaveta said matter-of-factly. Feliciano's heart fluttered.

"You're kidding, aren't you?" Feliciano asked accusingly.

"Why would I lie about something like that? I'm telling you the truth – a hundred percent!" Elizaveta protested. "But it doesn't matter if I'm lying or not – Ludwig most definitely likes you and since he's probably too shy to ask you out himself you have to be ballsy and ask him out yourself!" Elizaveta added.

"But I don't want too!" Feliciano whined. "It's too scary!"

"Honey, trust me. I'm married to an Austrian who's just like Ludwig. I was the one who asked him out, did you know that?" Elizaveta asked.

"Yes… but you're so strong and brave! I can't do something like that," Feliciano reminded her.

"That's because you don't have the confidence for it! Just believe in yourself and you _can_ and once you do, Ludwig will say yes and you'll be happily dating and wondering how the hell you were so scared to make the first move!" Elizaveta told him. "Trust me."

"Do I really have to?" Feliciano asked meekly. A part of him was fine just being friends with Ludwig and _really_ didn't want to tell him how he really felt.

"Do you _want_ to stay alone forever?" Elizaveta prompted. That was all Feliciano needed.

"Ok then," Feliciano said, taking a deep breath in. "I'll tell him tonight."

* * *

Ludwig stared at the cushions critically. They looked crooked. He arranged them so that they weren't crooked anymore. They didn't look right. Ludwig let out an annoyed sigh.

"Dude… chill. You going OCD on the house isn't going to make Feliciano say yes to you when you ask him out, you know," Gilbert told him, leaning against the wall behind Ludwig. Ludwig turned around and glared at his older brother.

"Didn't I ask you to leave an hour ago?" Ludwig asked. Gilbert snorted.

"Yeah. So?" he questioned.

"I'd appreciate it if you weren't here when Feliciano comes over," Ludwig continued.

Gilbert pouted. "But I haven't seen him for so long!" he protested.

"Gilbert…" Ludwig warned. Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave – maybe Roderich and Elizaveta are at home?" he said with a devious smirk. Ludwig sighed.

"Why must you always try to create trouble wherever you are?" Ludwig asked. Gilbert shrugged, turning away to leave the house.

"I guess because no one else is awesome enough to do it," Gilbert replied, walking towards the front door. Ludwig glanced at the clock hanging nearby. It was almost time for Feliciano to arrive.

"Hurry up and leave, Gilbert!" Ludwig called out.

"You're such an ungrateful brother, you know that?" Gilbert called back. Ludwig could hear the door opening. "Oh hey Feliciano!" he heard Gilbert exclaim. Ludwig's heart flew into his throat. It was time!

"Feliciano?" Ludwig asked, walking towards the door urgently. He found Gilbert standing there, smirking at him… and no Feliciano.

"It was too tempting," Gilbert replied with a smirk. Frowning, Ludwig pushed Gilbert out of the house and onto the porch. "Hey, no need to be pushy I was only jo-" Ludwig shut the front door on Gilbert's face. "You're a jerk!" he heard Gilbert call out from outside. "And Feliciano's actually here now," he added after a pause.

"I'm not falling for that Gilbert – now leave!" Ludwig exclaimed, opening the door to glare at Gilbert furiously.

And came face-to-face with a surprised looking Feliciano. Gilbert smirked at him and sauntered away, whistling what sounded suspiciously like the Wedding March. Ludwig glared at Gilbert's retreating back.

"Please, come in," Ludwig said hastily, allowing Feliciano inside, his heart beating madly.

It really _was _time!

* * *

Feliciano snuck a glance at Ludwig. Ludwig was watching the cats play with his three dogs, his face an odd pink. Feliciano _knew_ he should have told Ludwig by now about how he felt… but something was restricting him. He was scared.

"_Do you _want_ to stay alone forever?"_ Elizaveta's voice echoed in his mind. Feliciano gulped. It was now or never.

"I have something to talk to you," Feliciano said, turning to Ludwig. He blinked; Ludwig had said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

"You go first," Ludwig offered, turning a darker pink. Feliciano shook his head.

"No – you," Feliciano prompted. Ludwig nodded, swallowing deeply.

"I'm… I'm not sure how to put this," Ludwig admitted, looking away. "But… I really enjoy your company."

Feliciano blushed. "I really enjoy your company too," Feliciano told him. Ludwig turned an even dark pink. "But go on," Feliciano prompted.

"I like you very much," Ludwig stammered [making Feliciano's heart flutter happily], "And…I…," Ludwig blurted out, his face practically turning purple with the amount of blood flowing to it. Feliciano blinked.

"What?" Feliciano asked, not understanding what Ludwig had said.

"I said… I like y-you very m-much and was wondering… i-if you would g-g-go out with me?" Ludwig stammered, looking away. "I understand if you don't want to or anything," Ludwig added quickly.

It was Feliciano's turn to blush. "I do!" he exclaimed, shyly walking towards Ludwig and sitting down beside him. "I was actually going to ask you out myself," he admitted, smiling. Ludwig looked and him and smiled back.

"So… you like me back?" Ludwig asked. Feliciano nodded. "And you were going to ask me out?" he questioned. Feliciano nodded again. "Well… I guess… I guess I accept," Ludwig said, looking away in embarrassment. Feliciano beamed, feeling all the nervousness escape his body. Ludwig liked him – and they were going to go out!

Feliciano threw his arms around Ludwig in his excitement. He felt Ludwig stiffen in his arms, before hugging Feliciano back.

"Do… do we have to kiss?" Ludwig asked cautiously after a few minutes of hugging. Feliciano smiled at him.

"No… unless you want to," Feliciano told him hopefully.

Gino, Ema and the dogs exchanged gleeful looks.

Mission: success!

The End.

* * *

**A/N: LOL. Quick ending, eh? This entire story was actually supposed to be a one-shot - I decided to cut it up into smaller chapters instead of posting it at once so you wouldn't have to read a 10,000+ word story xD **

**I'm kinda sad that this story is over noww. D'you think I should write more stories in this universe? Make this a little bit of a series? Drop me a review and tell me what you think ;D**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Awesome**


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